Containers for the transportation of liquid in bulk



Oct. 22, 1968 c. s. M KECHNIE 3,406,855

CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUID IN BULK Filed June 17, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 22, 1968 c. s. M KECHNIE 3,406,355

CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUID IN BULK Filed June 17, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. S. M KECHNIE CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUID IN BULK Filed June 17. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 22, 1968 g, 5, MCKEQHNIE 3,406,855

CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUID IN BULK Filed June 17. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,406,855 CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUID IN BULK Charles Stanley McKechnie, Prestatyn, Wales, as'signor to Andrews of Aintree Limited, Aintree, Liverpool, England, a British company Filed June 17, 1966, Ser. No. 558,397 3 Claims. (Cl. 2201.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present portable container is for transporting liquids in an inner tank of stainless steel housed within a protective outer case of glass fiber reinforced plastic and said inner tank and outer casing have apertures in register for filling and drainage purposes, reinforced channel guides in the bottom of said outer casing for receiving the arms of a pick up handling device, spaced reinforcement and stiffening means on said inner tank registering with and connected to said channel guides of said outer casing, ribs in the side and end walls of said outer casing contacting and supporting said inner tank, shackles secured to the reinforcing members of said inner tank and projecting through said outer casing for use with lifting apparatus and the bottom of said inner tank sloping towards a sump portion containing the drain aperture inwhich is mounted a drain plug operable by a key inserted through the filling aperture of the inner tank.

This invention relates to containers for the transportation of liquids in bulk, and more particularly, although of course not exclusively, the transportation of wines, sherries and the like, and the invention has for its object to provide an improved container which is especially suited to the purpose intended and can more readily be handled by conventional handling equipment, as for example fork-lift trucks, hoisting apparatus, and the like, than heretofore.

The invention is further described with the aid of the accompanying explanatory drawings which illustrate, by way of example only, one mode of embodiment.

In said drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation, a plan view, an end elevation and an underneath plan view of a container according to the invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and plan view of the containers inner metal tank or shell.

FIG. 7 is a section taken as on line VIIVII of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged (as compared with the preceding views) fragmentary section depicting a lifting shackle, and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the drain plug.

Referring now to said drawings, the container comprises a stainless steel inner tank or shell 10 (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7) of generally rectangular shape and provided in its top wall with a man-hole 11 having a cover 12 adapted to be bolted in liquid-tight position. Said cover 12 is provided with a tube 14, screw-fitted with a dust cap 15, wherethrough the tank is normally filled and emptied. Around the top, sides, and bottom of said shell 10 are secured, as by welding, and at two longitudinally spaced positions, strengthening members 16 of channel section. Enclosing the tank or shell 10 is a moulded, fibre-glassreinforced plastics casing 17 formed with relatively depressed ribs or flutings 18 at those parts between and on either side of said reinforcing members 16 and which ribs or fiutings 18 contact the inner shell 10 to support same.

3,406,855 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 ice The bottom of said shell 10 is arranged to slope towards a down-set medial portion or sump 19 wherein is formed a drain opening 20 fitted with and adapted to be closed by a plug member 21 arranged to be in register with an aperture 13 (FIG. 4) of the outer casing 17. Said plug 21 comprises, see more particularly FIG. 9, a cylindrical member 22 formed with a screw-threaded bore 23 wherein works a correspondingly screw-threaded plug 24. The lower end of said member 22 is fitted with and partially closed by an apertured disc 25, and the walls thereof are formed with openings 26 communicating with the interior of the shell 10. The plug 24 has a squared upper end as shown so as to be actuable by a tubular key when inserted through the man-hole 11, or tube 14, and thus the plug can, by manipulation of the key, be turned and moved from the position shown, in which it bears against and seals the aperture 25 and therefore closes the sump 19, to a position above the lateral openings 26. In this latter position the shell or tank 10 can be completely emptied of any dregs as the apertures 26 are arranged to be level with and allow drainage of the floor of the sump portion 19.

The base of the outer casing 17 is formed with a pair of transverse recesses 30 which are disposed in register and alignment one with each of the stifiening members 16 of the inner shell 10, and the said recesses 30 are reinforced by the insertion therein of mild steel channel or box section components 31 which are bolted to the stilfening members 16 of the inner shell 10 through the bottom of the recesses 30 of outer casing 17. Said reinforcing components 31 are spaced apart and dimensioned so as to receive the arms of a conventional fork-lift truck, or similar appliance, whereby the container can safely be lifted and stacked as required without danger or damage to or distortion of the container.

Also, the upper corners (see more particularly FIGS. 7 and 8) of the stifiening members 16 extending across the roof of the shell 10 are fitted with reinforcing plates 32 and have bolted thereto duplex lugs 33 between which are pivoted shackle members 34. These latter project through provided apertures of the outer casing 17 and are adapted to be engaged by lifting appliances.

The outer casing 17 is provided in its upper surface with a hinged cover 37 in register with man-hole 11 of the inner shell 10. Said hinged cover 37 is located within a recess 38 formed in the roof of said outer cover 17 and ducts 39 are provided for draining away any liquid which may collect therein. Also, lugs as 40 are provided on the cover 37 in order to provide for the locking of said cover in closed position.

In order that containers as described may be stacked one upon another without danger of becoming displaced during transportation thereof, the protective outer casing 17 is formed or provided on its upper surface with spaced projections 35 (or/and depressions) and on its undersurface with correspondingly positioned depressions 36 (or/and projections). Thus, individual containers of a stack of containers according to the invention become locked against lateral displacement.

In experimental practice, containers according to the invention have been constructed with a capacity of between 500 and 600 gallons and have been capable of being readily and safely handled by conventional lifting appliances. Further, their double-skinned construction enables the inner tank or shell 10 to be constructed from a lighter gauge metal than has hitherto been possible in the construction of containers for the bulk transportation of liquids.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable container for the transportation. of

tive outer casing of glass-fibre-reinforced plastics sur-.

rounding said inner tank with openings in register with the apertures of said tank, reinforced channel guides provided in the bottom of said outer casing for receiving the arms of pick-up handling devices, spaced reinforcement and stiffening 'means provided on said inner tank in register with and connected to the reinforced channel guides of said'outer casing, relatively depressed ribs provided in the side and end walls of said outer casing which ribs contact and support said inner tank, and shackles secured to the reinforcing members of said inner tank projecting through said outer casing for use with lifting apparatus.

2. A container; as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom of said inner tank slopes towards a down-set sump portion containing said drain aperture and a drain plug is mounted in said drain aperture.

3. A container, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said drain ,plug is positionedfor being operable bymeans of a key inserted through the filler aperture of said inner tank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,413,907 4/1922 Gerstenberge r 220, 2,056,178 10/1936 Fitch .Q 220 15 2,664,219 12/1953 Schmidt 2201.5 2,714,516 8/1955 Brown 22015 X 2,869,751 1/1959 Klope 22015 2,887,251 5/1959 Mackridge 220l.5 X 2,939,603 6/1960 Young; 22097 X 3,128,897 4/1964 Wilkins 2201.5 3,163,435 12/1964 Krueger 2209 X THERON E. CONDON, Prim ary Examiner. G. E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

